diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fe1b44e..bde0ca9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ read at runtime from a small **project profile** you fill in during onboarding.
 
 | Layer | Contents | How it's delivered |
 |---|---|---|
-| **Skills** (`skills/`) | `rig-doctor`, `rig-debug`, `rig-spike`, `rig-tidy`, `rig-issue`, `rig-worktree`, `rig-review` (`find`/`fix`), `rig-plan`, `rig-task`, `rig-sprint`, `rig-epic` | Copied into `<project>/.claude/skills/` |
+| **Skills** (`skills/`) | `rig-doctor`, `rig-debug`, `rig-spike`, `rig-tidy`, `rig-issue`, `rig-worktree`, `rig-review` (`find`/`fix`), `rig-plan`, `rig-task`, `rig-sprint`, `rig-epic` | Copied into `<project>/.claude/skills/` (or `.agents/skills/` for non-Claude agents — see "Works with your agent" below) |
 | **Agents** (`agents/`) | `rig-debugger`, `rig-reviewer`, `rig-architect`, `rig-qa`, `rig-coder` | Copied into `<project>/.claude/agents/` |
 | **Support docs** (`templates/`) | starter `REVIEWER.md` (+ `REVIEWER.scope-template.md`), `label-mapping.md` | Copied into `<project>/.claude/` (only if absent) |
 | **Scripts** (`scripts/`) | `setup-worktree.sh`, `remove-worktree.sh`, `mint-gh-app-token.sh`, `scope-reviewer.ts`, `set-session-name.sh` (Claude-only) | Copied into `<project>/.claude/scripts/` |
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ your agent's own conventions via **targets** (auto-detected from repo markers):
 | Target | Delivered as | Covers |
 |---|---|---|
 | **`claude-code`** | `.claude/skills/<name>/`, `.claude/agents/`, `.claude/scripts/` (native skills + subagents) | Claude Code |
-| **`agents-md`** | a neutral `.rig/` dir (alongside the shared config profile) + an idempotent `## Rig` index injected into `AGENTS.md` ("read `.rig/skills/<name>.md` and follow it") | Codex, Cursor, Gemini, Amp, Zed, Jules — any `AGENTS.md`-reading agent |
+| **`agents-md`** | `.agents/skills/<name>/` — the standard cross-agent Agent Skills layout, auto-discovered natively (no index needed) — plus `.rig/agents/`, `.rig/scripts/`, `.rig/REVIEWER.md` for the pieces the standard doesn't cover, and a minimal `## Rig` pointer block injected into `AGENTS.md` (config + persona adoption) | Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Rovo Dev — any agent that scans `.agents/skills/` or reads `AGENTS.md` |
 
 For agents without subagents, the `.rig/agents/` personas are adopted **inline**
 rather than delegated — the skills reference roles through the `agents.*`
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 9870ad7..a08c8d4 100644
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -13,10 +13,14 @@
 #
 # Targets (adapters):
 #   claude-code  -> .claude/skills/<name>/, .claude/agents/, .claude/scripts/
-#   agents-md    -> .rig/skills/<name>.md + .rig/agents/ + .rig/scripts/, and an
-#                   idempotent "## Rig" index injected into AGENTS.md. Works for
-#                   any AGENTS.md-reading agent (Codex, Cursor, Gemini, Amp,
-#                   Zed, Jules, ...).
+#   agents-md    -> .agents/skills/<name>/ (the cross-agent Agent Skills
+#                   standard, auto-discovered natively by Codex, Cursor,
+#                   Gemini CLI, Copilot, Rovo Dev, ...), plus .rig/agents/,
+#                   .rig/scripts/, .rig/REVIEWER.md for the pieces the
+#                   standard doesn't cover, and a minimal idempotent "## Rig"
+#                   pointer block injected into AGENTS.md (config profile +
+#                   persona-adoption note - no per-skill listing, since
+#                   .agents/skills/ is self-discovered).
 #
 # With no --target, the target agent(s) are auto-detected from repo markers
 # (falling back to claude-code). Repeat/comma-separate to install several.
@@ -64,8 +68,9 @@ fi
 detect_targets() {
   local found=()
   if [[ -d "$TARGET/.claude" || -f "$TARGET/CLAUDE.md" ]]; then found+=(claude-code); fi
-  if [[ -f "$TARGET/AGENTS.md" || -d "$TARGET/.cursor" || -f "$TARGET/.github/copilot-instructions.md" \
-        || -f "$TARGET/GEMINI.md" || -d "$TARGET/.windsurf" ]]; then found+=(agents-md); fi
+  if [[ -f "$TARGET/AGENTS.md" || -d "$TARGET/.agents" || -d "$TARGET/.cursor" \
+        || -f "$TARGET/.github/copilot-instructions.md" || -f "$TARGET/GEMINI.md" \
+        || -d "$TARGET/.windsurf" ]]; then found+=(agents-md); fi
   if [[ ${#found[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then found=(claude-code); fi   # safe default
   printf '%s\n' "${found[@]}"
 }
@@ -125,15 +130,10 @@ install_claude_code() {
 }
 
 # --- Adapter: agents-md (universal) ------------------------------------------
-skill_desc() {   # extract the frontmatter description of a skill, unquoted
-  grep -m1 '^description:' "$RIG_DIR/skills/$1/SKILL.md" 2>/dev/null \
-    | sed -E 's/^description:[[:space:]]*//; s/^"//; s/"[[:space:]]*$//' || true
-}
-
 install_agents_md() {
-  echo "[agents-md] skills -> .rig/skills/*.md"
+  echo "[agents-md] skills -> .agents/skills/<name>/ (cross-agent Agent Skills standard)"
   for s in "${SKILLS[@]}"; do
-    if [[ -f "$RIG_DIR/skills/$s/SKILL.md" ]]; then copy_no_clobber "$RIG_DIR/skills/$s/SKILL.md" "$TARGET/.rig/skills/$s.md"
+    if [[ -d "$RIG_DIR/skills/$s" ]]; then copy_no_clobber "$RIG_DIR/skills/$s" "$TARGET/.agents/skills/$s"
     else echo "  unknown skill: $s" >&2; fi
   done
   echo "[agents-md] agents -> .rig/agents/, scripts -> .rig/scripts/"
@@ -153,15 +153,13 @@ install_agents_md() {
   block="$(
     echo "## Rig"
     echo
-    echo "This project uses [Rig](https://github.com/agent-rig/rig) skills — self-contained"
-    echo "markdown procedures. **When a request matches a skill's triggers, read that"
-    echo "file and follow it.** Project config lives in \`.rig/config.json\`."
+    echo "This project uses [Rig](https://github.com/agent-rig/rig) skills, delivered as"
+    echo "standard Agent Skills under \`.agents/skills/\` — your agent discovers and"
+    echo "invokes them automatically from each skill's trigger description; nothing to"
+    echo "do here to use them."
     echo
-    for s in "${SKILLS[@]}"; do
-      [[ -f "$RIG_DIR/skills/$s/SKILL.md" ]] || continue
-      echo "- **$s** — $(skill_desc "$s")"
-      echo "  → read \`.rig/skills/$s.md\` and follow it."
-    done
+    echo "Project config lives in \`.rig/config.json\` — read it for the test command,"
+    echo "base branch, tracker, and review-bot settings before running any skill."
     echo
     echo "**Roles/subagents:** personas live in \`.rig/agents/\` (rig-reviewer, rig-coder,"
     echo "rig-architect, rig-qa, rig-debugger). If your agent supports subagents,"
diff --git a/skills/rig-onboard/SKILL.md b/skills/rig-onboard/SKILL.md
index 91ccdf8..4f972a2 100644
--- a/skills/rig-onboard/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/rig-onboard/SKILL.md
@@ -62,13 +62,19 @@ Read, don't ask. Gather:
   from repo markers to delivery **targets** (may be more than one):
   - `.claude/` or `CLAUDE.md` → **`claude-code`** (native: `.claude/skills/`,
     `.claude/agents/`).
-  - `AGENTS.md`, `.cursor/`, `.github/copilot-instructions.md`, `GEMINI.md`, or
-    `.windsurf/` → **`agents-md`** (universal: skills/agents/scripts under the
-    neutral `.rig/` dir — the same home as the config profile — plus a `## Rig`
-    index injected into `AGENTS.md`; works for Codex, Cursor, Gemini, Amp, Zed,
-    Jules…). If none detected, default to `claude-code`; if unsure, ask.
-- **Existing `.claude/`**: note any skills/agents already present so you can warn
-  before overwriting.
+  - `AGENTS.md`, `.agents/`, `.cursor/`, `.github/copilot-instructions.md`,
+    `GEMINI.md`, or `.windsurf/` → **`agents-md`** (universal: skills land in
+    `.agents/skills/<name>/` — the standard cross-agent "Agent Skills" layout
+    that Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Copilot, and Rovo Dev auto-discover
+    natively, so no per-skill index file is needed; agents/scripts/review
+    patterns stay under `.rig/`, the same home as the config profile, since
+    nothing else standardizes those; plus a minimal `## Rig` pointer block
+    injected into `AGENTS.md`). If none detected, default to `claude-code`; if
+    unsure, ask.
+- **Existing `.claude/` or `.agents/skills/`**: note any skills/agents already
+  present so you can warn before overwriting. Also check for a legacy
+  `.rig/skills/*.md` flat-file layout from a pre-`.agents/skills/` onboarding —
+  see "Re-running" below.
 
 Summarize what you found in a short table before moving on.
 
@@ -120,17 +126,23 @@ skill/agent/catalog without diff-and-confirm.
   `<target>/.claude/agents/`; `RIG_DIR/scripts/*` → `<target>/.claude/scripts/`
   (`chmod +x`); and starter `REVIEWER.md` / `label-mapping.md` →
   `<target>/.claude/` **only if absent**.
-- **`agents-md`:** the payload lives under `.rig/` — the same dir as the shared
-  config profile, so there's one rig home (not a `rig/`-vs-`.rig/` pair). Copy
-  each chosen skill's `SKILL.md` → `<target>/.rig/skills/<name>.md`; agents →
-  `<target>/.rig/agents/`; scripts → `<target>/.rig/scripts/`; starter docs →
-  `<target>/.rig/` (if absent). Then inject an idempotent `## Rig` section into
-  `<target>/AGENTS.md` (between `<!-- rig:start -->` / `<!-- rig:end -->`
-  markers — replace any existing block, don't duplicate) that lists each
-  installed skill with its one-line description and trigger phrases and says
-  "read `.rig/skills/<name>.md` and follow it", plus a note that subagent-less
-  agents should adopt the `.rig/agents/` personas inline. Set
-  `review.patternsFile` in the profile to `.rig/REVIEWER.md` for this target.
+- **`agents-md`:** skills are delivered as full directories — copy each chosen
+  `RIG_DIR/skills/<name>/` → `<target>/.agents/skills/<name>/` (same shape as
+  the `claude-code` copy, just a different root). This is the location the
+  target agent already scans on its own, so **no per-skill index or "read and
+  follow" pointer is written** — the agent auto-discovers each skill from its
+  `SKILL.md` frontmatter `description`. Everything the standard doesn't cover
+  keeps living under `.rig/` (the same dir as the shared config profile, so
+  there's still one rig home for non-skill pieces): agents →
+  `<target>/.rig/agents/`; scripts → `<target>/.rig/scripts/`; starter docs
+  (`REVIEWER.md`, `label-mapping.md`) → `<target>/.rig/` (if absent). Then
+  inject/refresh an idempotent `## Rig` section into `<target>/AGENTS.md`
+  (between `<!-- rig:start -->` / `<!-- rig:end -->` markers — replace any
+  existing block, don't duplicate). Keep this block short: a pointer to
+  `.rig/config.json` for project settings, and a note that subagent-less
+  agents should adopt the `.rig/agents/` personas inline — it no longer
+  enumerates skills. Set `review.patternsFile` in the profile to
+  `.rig/REVIEWER.md` for this target.
 
 ## 5. Offer CI (optional, gated on consent)
 
@@ -157,3 +169,14 @@ secrets setup you can't do for them). See `ci/README.md#review-bot-bundle`.
 Onboarding is idempotent-ish: re-running detects the existing
 `.rig/config.json`, offers to update it, and only copies pieces that are
 missing or that the user explicitly asks to refresh. Use it to pull kit updates.
+
+Projects onboarded before this change may still have the old flat
+`.rig/skills/<name>.md` files and a `## Rig` block that lists them by name.
+Re-running onboarding delivers skills into `.agents/skills/<name>/` and
+replaces the `## Rig` block (it's idempotent between the markers), but it will
+**not** delete the old `.rig/skills/*.md` files on its own — `copy_no_clobber`
+and the rest of the install path only ever add files, never remove them. Point
+this out in your Step 1 summary and Step 6 wrap-up, and — because you're
+interactive and a human is present to confirm — offer to delete the now-dead
+`.rig/skills/` directory for them. Don't delete it silently, and don't do this
+from `install.sh` (non-interactive, no consent to delete).